Families mourn 5 dead after bus from Fort Worth hit by stolen car in San Antonio
A 79-year-old Fort Worth woman injured in the crash between a transport bus from North Texas and a stolen Camaro on Interstate 35 in San Antonio has died, officials said.
Judith Brooks Paulsel died Monday, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office. She is the fifth victim to succumb to injuries received in the July 17 accident. At least 15 more people, including young children, were injured.
The bus, which was operated by the Fort Worth transportation company Transportes Guerra, was on the way to the border with Mexico at Eagle Pass.
Who are the victims of the crash?
Two bus passengers died at the scene of the crash about 2:30 p.m., San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said at a July 17 news conference. Eighteen more were transported to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment. Two of those patients, including Jose “Tito” Guerra, the owner of Transportes Guerra, died at the hospital later that day.
Tito Guerra was driving the bus, family members told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. His wife, Santa Guerra, said the 50-year-old Crowley resident had dedicated his life to the business.
“He was a great person,” Santa Guerra told WFAA in Spanish during a phone interview. “He was very hardworking, dedicated to his kids, to his family and community.”
Another victim of the deadly crash was Alicia Yaneth Cisneros Gonzalez from Nueva Rosita, Coahuila, Mexico. The 42-year-old mother was on her way home after visiting her brother in Austin, WFAA reported.
Her family and friends described her smile and sense of humor.
“This is a great loss for everyone who loved her,” a coworker said on Facebook in Spanish.
“She was joyful, unique, always positive,” another person posted in Spanish. “Someone who shouldn’t have left this world.”
Another victim, Maria del Rosario Sánchez, had been visiting her children and grandchildren in North Texas, her family told WFAA.
The 78-year-old resident of Nueva Rosita, Coahuila, will be remembered as an exceptional woman who was always willing to help those in need, Mexican news outlet Canal 6 Telecable Zaragoza reported in Spanish.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the fifth victim as 69-year-old Rosalio Aguilera.
How is the police investigation going?
San Antonio police told the Star-Telegram in an email Wednesday that the investigation into the crash is still active, and there are “no updates to release at this time.”
Two men stole a white customized Camaro from the driveway of a northeast Bexar County home on July 14, according to surveillance video obtained by KENS-TV. Police confirmed the same car was involved in the fatal crash.
Three days after it was stolen, the Camaro was speeding on I-35 and hit the trailer attached to the Transportes Guerra bus, police said. The bus driver lost control and ended up in the path of an 18-wheeler. The semi struck the bus, which rolled over on the right side. Several passengers were ejected from the bus.
The Camaro’s four occupants fled without rendering aid, according to police. One of them was armed with an AK-style rifle. It’s not clear if the two suspects caught on camera during the robbery were part of that group, according to KENS reporting.
Transportes Guerra has offices in Fort Worth and Allende, Coahuila. According to the bus company’s Facebook page, it is a tour agency that provides transportation to multiple locations in Texas, including cities on the Texas/Mexico border.
Transportes Guerra extends its condolences to all who were affected by the accident, according to the company’s Facebook post.
